Electric fences of the type utilizing a ground wire, a current carrying wire, and a source of electrical current are known. The ground wire and the current carrying wire are conventionally spaced apart and positioned generally parallel to one another using separate insulator devices. The spacing between the wires are such that an animal coming in contact with the fence will contact both wires. This creates a current path to complete the circuit such that the animal receives a mild electrical shock.
The wires are often suspended or supported from a support structure, such as a board, or a metal or wood post. It is important to electrically isolate or insulate the wires from the support structure and to prevent the ground wire and the current carrying wire from contacting one another. It is also important to maintain the wires in a desired spaced relationship so that an animal contacting the fence will be likely to simultaneously contact both wires so that a shock is received by the animal.
Separate insulators have been used to support the spaced apart wires due to the need to electrically isolate the wires from one another. The use of separate insulators, however, is cumbersome and desires improvement.
With regard to the foregoing, the present invention is directed to a fence insulator for maintaining a pair of fence wires in a desired common plane and spaced a desired distance apart.
In a preferred embodiment, the insulator includes a body of molded plastic construction mountable to a support and including a pair of spaced apart sidewalls connected by a connecting wall.
A first pair of aligned grooves are defined across the connecting wall and a first retention member is positioned adjacent the first pair of aligned grooves and configured for receiving one of the wires underneath a portion thereof.
A second pair of aligned grooves is also defined across the connecting wall and spaced apart from and substantially parallel to the first pair of aligned grooves. A second retention member is positioned adjacent the second pair of aligned grooves and configured for receiving one of the wires underneath a portion thereof.
One of the wires is positionable underneath the first retention member and within the first pair of aligned grooves and the other one of the wires is positionable underneath the second retention member and within the second pair of aligned grooves.
In one preferred embodiment, the retention members are pairs of oppositely disposed fingers located adjacent the connecting wall and spaced interior the pairs of grooves. In another embodiment, the retention members are flexible tabs defined adjacent the connecting wall with underlying cutouts defined within the connecting wall.
In another aspect, the fence insulator includes an elongate body of molded plastic construction mountable to a support and including a wire mounting face. A first retention member is positioned adjacent the wire mounting face and configured for receiving one of the wires underneath a portion thereof. A second retention member is configured for receiving the other one of the wires underneath a portion thereof and is located adjacent the wire mounting face and longitudinally spaced apart from the first retention member.
In still another aspect, the invention relates to a fence insulator for installation at corners of a fence or other locations where first and second spaced apart fence wires undergo an abrupt change of direction.
In a preferred embodiment, the insulator includes an elongate body of molded plastic construction mountable to a support and including a wire mounting face. A first rigid tab is positioned adjacent the wire mounting face and has an opening for passage of the first wire and a curved closed end configured for bearing against the first wire to provide a radius for the first wire to curve around to reduce stresses on the first wire as it undergoes a relatively abrupt change of direction. A second rigid tab is positioned adjacent the wire mounting face longitudinally spaced apart from the first tab. The second tab has an opening for passage of the second wire and a curved closed end configurated for bearing against the second wire to provide a radius for the second wire to curve around to reduce stresses on the second wire as it undergoes a relatively abrupt change of direction.
In yet another aspect, the invention relates to a fence system which preferably includes a current carrying wire connectable to a source of electric current, a ground wire, and a unitary insulator configured to receive the current carrying wire and the ground wire and to maintain the wires in a spaced apart and electrically isolated orientation.